Van Gogh is Crazy for Ears: Assignment 7

Assignment 7 

Influence of Vincent Van Gogh

Thomas Tiernan

           Vincent Van Gogh was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland on March 30, 1853. He was a post impressionist self-taught painter who was famous for his bold color use and the ear he cut off as a gift. Van Gogh was the first expressionist painter, but lived during the post-impressionist movement. Therefore, he started a new movement. One of Van Gogh’s greatest artistic influences was Paul Gauguin. They met when Van Gogh moved to Paris in 1887, and when Gauguin asked to trade a painting of his, for two of Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings. Van Gogh’s sunflower painting are one of his most famous paintings, along with his self-portraits and The Starry Night. 

I have actually seen one of Vincent Van Gogh’s self portraits in the Edward Norton Museum in Pasadena, California. Looking at it up close, you can see the thick brush techniques and bright colors. I enjoy Van Gogh and Gauguin style paintings because they use large coats of paint. The amount of paint he used expressed his emotions clearly.  

Van Gogh and Gauguin then moved to southern France where they painted together and even similar subjects such as landscapes and villagers. They painted on jute, which is a rough material that looks similar to a burlap sack. This coarse material caused both artists to apply thick paint and use heavier brush strokes. On December 23, 1888, Van Gogh and Gauguin got into a heated fight where later that day, Van Gogh cut off part of Gauguin’s ear and gave it to a prostitute as a gift.  After that, Gauguin left Arles, and Van Gogh was readmitted to a private clinic in Saint Remy de Provence. They continued to send each other letters but even after parting ways; neither artist could escape the other’s influence. For example, Gauguin’s work started to incorporate religious themes because of Van Gogh’s religious background.

Van Gogh was influenced by Gauguin’s technique of painting from his memory. Painting from memory caused Van Gogh’s paintings to become more ornate and less realistic.  Gauguin not only influenced Van Gogh but I believe the impressionist movement also influenced Van Gogh. Without the movement, Gogh would not have created this new expressionistic art.